title: Relationship between walking performance and types of community-based activities in people with stroke: an observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between clinical walking performance and amount and type of community activity in people after stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional observational study of 14 people with stroke living in Sydney and able to walk was carried out. Demographics (such as age, gender, side of stroke, time since stroke, presence of spouse) and aspects of walking performance (such as speed, capacity, automaticity, and stairs ability) were measured. People with stroke were observed for at least five hours while they carried out activities in the community. These activities were then categorized into four types: domestic intrinsic, domestic extrinsic, leisure without contact, and leisure with contact activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No relationship was found between walking performance and the amount of community activity. There was no relationship between walking performance and total time spent on domestic intrinsic activity. Walking speed and stairs ability were significantly correlated with leisure with contact activity (r=0.56, p=0.04, and r=0.57, p=0.03 respectively) and inversely correlated with leisure without contact (r=-0.72, p<0.01, and r=-0.66, p=0.01 respectively). Walking capacity was also inversely correlated with leisure without contact (r=-0.77, p<0.01). Only stairs ability was significantly correlated with domestic extrinsic activity (r=0.77, p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that if walking performance is poor after stroke, activities at home and in the community will be limited, so that people may become housebound and isolated from society.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Department, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Matar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alzahrani
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ada
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016138:Walking